Valley Road students in Clark 'coast' through physics

Pictured (from left) Meagan Lambert, Natalie DeRose, Lauren Fogle, and Bryan Lowe test their design for flaws and discuss the forces at work on the marble.

Students at Valley Road Elementary School in Clark engaged in a design challenge and constructed miniature roller coasters. After finishing a science unit on matter and energy, fifth graders in Bryan Lowe’s class participated in multiple engineering challenges where they used vinyl tubing, cardboard rolls, and marbles to build a working scale model.

Some groups had to design a roller coaster that could complete a loop while others were tasked with making the fastest one possible. Students used concepts they learned about types of energy and rules of motion to perfect their prototypes.